On Whom Will God Look?

As I was made aware of our Sabbath, many of you were here and able to listen to the sermon given by our chairman, Dr. Donald Ward, while he was presenting at the General Conference of Elders. In Dr. Ward's sermon, he walked us through many scriptures reminding us of the truth of God's plan for humanity and of salvation. While working through that sermon, Dr. Ward asked a question that I found was interesting and wrote it down in my notes. He said, how does God view us?

He went on and shared a passage from the book of Isaiah that I thought would be a good study for us today and something to share with the congregation in more detail. The passage he read was from Isaiah 66 in verses 1 and 2. So you can begin turning there, along with me, to Isaiah 66 verses 1 and 2. Dr. Ward read through these verses. He didn't expound much on them, but these verses are full of meaning, really in-depth meaning, because when we consider the question, how does God view us, it could cause us to pause and consider what exactly God is saying here.

Here in Isaiah 66 in verse 1, the prophet Isaiah was inspired by God to proclaim this. He says, Thus says the Lord, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me, and where is the place of my rest? In a resting way, at the dedication of the temple that King Solomon built, he said some similar words in 1 Kings chapter 8 and verse 27. You can reference that in your notes. 1 Kings 8 verse 27. King Solomon said, But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heavens of heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple which I have built. There are several verses like this through God's word, where God speaks of His majesty, of His greatness, of earth being His footstool, and other similar accounts. So it's not just one time that God asked this question, but where again, verse 1, where is the house that you will build me, and where is the place of my rest? Continuing on in verse 2, For all those things my hand has made, and all these things exist, says the Lord. And this is the key of what I'd like to look at today, right here at the end of verse 2. But on this one, I will look. Or on this one, will I look. On him who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. One who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.

This could be one of those passages, as I've probably done before, that we quickly read over. We have a general idea of what God is saying here, what the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write. It's pretty straightforward. It seems it's definitely biblical. It's one that we see repeated throughout his word multiple times. But it's one of those that if we don't stop at times, and pause, and consider exactly what these words are, and what's being said here, we could miss an important aspect of God's word for us today. And so I'd like us to dive into these words. I'd like us to dive into the thought process set up here, and to explore in more depth what exactly God is saying when he says, but on this one, will I look? As Isaiah 66 verse 2 stated, God will look on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. The Hebrew word here for poor is ama. It's spelled A-N-I-Y, which means afflicted, humble, lowly, or as it's translated here, is poor. So afflicted, humble, lowly. Merriam Webster's dictionary defines poor as less than adequate or meager, small in worth, inferior in quality or value, and then it also goes on to say humble or unpretentious. Often I like to look at the opposite words that some of these have because I think it helps shine the light on truly what we're trying to get at. So the opposite of poor here would be acceptable, adequate, all right decent, fine, or okay, or standard, or tolerable. These are all words that would be the opposite of poor.

God doesn't want us to look at ourselves and to say, I'm all right, or I'm okay. I'm a pretty good guy. I work hard. I study God's word. I've overcome some pretty big challenges in our life, but rather he would want us to see that we are poor, that we are not fully where we should be, that we're not complete in his eyes, that we have not obtained eternal life just yet, that we don't have the mind of God, because God does not look favorably on one who has an arrogant attitude or an arrogant heart. And he's not talking here in this passage as poor being financially poor or not somebody without money, but rather that God looks favorably on one that is humble and recognizes who he is and clearly sees who he is. He sees his worth and he understands the deficient nature that he has. That's what the translation here of poor really means.

The word contrite in the Hebrew is nakai, which means smitten or maimed, dejected or contrite, as the the word was translated as well in the New King James. Smitten, maimed or dejected. Again, Miriam's Webster's Dictionary defines it as a feeling of sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming, a feeling of sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming. Some other words that are similar that are synonyms of contrite are apologetic, pentatint, regretful, remorseful, or sorry. It's one that we use quite commonly today.

Again, some opposites or antonyms would be remorseless or unapologetic or unrepentant. Again, God desires a spirit that is deeply affected by the gravity of one's sins, not one that has grown insensitive to sin and therefore has no idea how opposed to God he has truly become, but rather a spirit that is broken and that is hurt by the sin that exists in our nature when God reveals it to us. That's the poor or the contrite spirit that God is looking for in us. And lastly, the third word is trembles. When it says, and he and who trembles at my word. Here the word trembled is karad in the Hebrew, C-H-A-R-E-D, which means fearful, reverential, or afraid, or trembling, or to shudder with terror, or to hasten, or to be careful, to be fearful or reverential, to shudder with terror, or to hasten, or to be careful.

As we've reviewed many times before, God doesn't want us to fear Him in the way that we're waiting to get zapped, or we're waiting to get bonked on the head, or something like that, that we have this terror of being in trouble with God and just waiting for something to happen. But instead, that we should revere Him and recognize the awesomeness of who He is, recognize the awesomeness of His Word, not to treat it as just standard or common, not as like some comic book that we'd pick up or some magazine in the checkout line, which is extremely common. Not anything like that at all. But when we read or hear God's Word, we tremble at the magnitude and awesomeness of it. We recognize how special it is, how valuable to our life it is, how profound how a Word that has been inspired thousands of years ago can prick our conscience and speak to our heart still today. That is the awesomeness and the magnitude of God's Word. He doesn't want us to ever take for granted His Word or His principles or to treat it as common. And so because of this, we properly fear breaking His Word. That's the type of fear God wants us to have, this uncomfortable feeling that when we go contrary to His Word, it leaves us in a state of uncomfortableness, of being in terror, of the magnitude of who He is and what He's called us to do, and that when our lives don't align with that, there should be a proper amount of fear and reverence because He is God.

Again, this passage that we just read through is very important because it's not the only time God references this train of thought. Let's look at a few of those. Let's first look at Psalm 33, verse 8.

And this is just a sampling. We could probably spend the entire sermon time reading Scripture after Scripture after Scripture that speaks to this topic, but I wanted to pick out a sampling so that we don't think... well, so that we know and we can affirm it and build into our minds that we know that this is the way that God wants us to change our thought pattern and to revere Him and to have that humble spirit that we need to have. This is the first passage is Psalm 33, verse 8.

Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. So let all the earth fear the Lord and the world stand in awe of Him. Flip one chapter forward to Psalm 34, verse 18, verse 18 and 19, Psalm 34, verse 18.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart. Literally, the word here, literally, literally the word here, literally me or figuratively to burst or to break up. That's the word broken here. To burst or to break up. The Lord is near to those that have a broken heart and saves such as has a contrite spirit. It's a different Hebrew word here for contrite. The word here is daka and means crushed literally as powder. Imagine something that is hard, that is in just crushed to the point of just being powder after that. That is that type of contrite spirit that God is looking for us to have as a heart. He goes on to say, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers Him out of them all. We will have our trials. We will have our difficulties, our challenges in life, but because of this type of an attitude that we can have with God and we do have, He will deliver us out of them all through His mercy, which is ever bounding more than we deserve, ever deserve, but He extends that mercy so far for the people who follow Him and has chosen His path. Another passage is in Psalm 51, verse 16. Psalm 51 and verse 16.

This is the Psalm when David had his conscience pricked through God by the prophet Nathan when he brought to him forth and said, you are the man who has done these horrible things after committing adultery with Bathsheba. And then David's conscience in his heart was pricked. And the Psalm was written. And in the passage here in Psalms 51, verse 16, King David said, for you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. So we know God looks positively on this type of a broken and a contrite heart. Last passage you look through in this section, 2 Kings 22, verse 18. 2 Kings 22, verse 18. Here in this passage we find the young King Josiah was eight years old when he became king and started to reign. And we know Josiah was a good king. And he instituted and brought back the laws and the commandments and they taught him to the people.

He was one of few good kings over Judah. And here in 2 Kings 22, verse 18, because of his change, because of the heart that he had and the way that he led Israel, or led Judah, this is what said. 2 Kings 22, verse 18. But as for the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him. Thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard. Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse. And you tore your clothes and you wept before me. I also have heard you. The key through this passage is because Josiah had ate the heart that was tender, not that stone that was crushed into a thousand pieces into powder, but a heart that was tender. And because Josiah humbled himself before the Lord, then at the end of the verse, God says, I have heard you. I have listened to you. Again, referencing back to Isaiah. Who will God turn his eyes towards? Who will God look to? We see that it says here, I have heard you.

I find it interesting that the first part of Isaiah chapter 6, God alluded to the temple in Jerusalem and asked, where is the house that you will build me? God has less interest in the physical than he does the spiritual. What really is significant to him is his power, his glory, and the spiritual things which are in him. And he says the importance should be on the attitude and heart that we have towards God and towards his word. God overlooks the majesty of a human temple and instead looks favorably on one that is poor in spirit, one that is humble, one that is serious and self-denying in nature. And God looks on one who is in constant awe of his majesty and aware of his justice and his judgment. A heart like this is a temple that God seeks to have his spirit abide in. Let's look in Ezekiel chapter 36. Because in Ezekiel 36, we have a prophecy of when God would give an opportunity for many people to have his spirit inside of them, which first occurred in the mass array of people at the first Pentecost after Christ was resurrected.

This is in Ezekiel 36 verse 26. Because prior to this time, only a select few had God's spirit in the grand scheme of mankind and humanity. God was selective in who he gave his spirit to, but then this is going to change after Christ. We see that not only in Christ's teaching, but here in Ezekiel 36 verse 26. It says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them.

This is that type of temple that God desired his spirit to be in. It all starts with God giving his spirit to those that believe, those that repent of their sins and then commit their lives to following his teachings. And once this happens, we become the temple of God. Let's read about that in 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

1 Corinthians chapter 3. These are common scriptures for many of us, but it's important that we review these and we keep them fresh in our mind, especially this time of the year, a week prior to Pentecost. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16.

Here in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16, the apostle Paul says, Just as God's presence was in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle in the wilderness, and later in the Holy of Holies in the temple that Solomon built, God's spirit exists inside of you and me today. And collectively, together, as God's holy people, we are each part of a greater temple being built by God. Paul references this in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 19.

That collectively, we are a greater temple being built today. Ephesians 2 and verse 19.

Ephesians 2 and verse 19.

So collectively, as his people, we are this temple, so we have his spirit living and residing inside of each one of us. That power that unites us as well and gives us that unity and that peace that we can have together. And then, combined, we become this amazing, this awesome temple built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. This is that awesome work that God is doing today through us and through his church. At this point in the message, there are a couple dangers that I'd like to point out, though. The first is the danger of doing the right thing, but with the wrong heart. The danger of doing the right thing, but with the wrong heart. Sacrifice means nothing to God if it's done with a wrong heart. When the Jews returned to Jerusalem and they rebuilt the temple after being in captivity, though they may not have relapsed into idolatry like they were previous, they did grow careless and loose in their service to God. Instead of looking inward, they focused outward on what they were doing and how it would be viewed by others. Let's look at Mark chapter 12 and verse 38.

Because Christ recognized this hypocrisy that was inside, and he multiple times warned and called them out for that, but he warned those who were following him, his disciples, to look out for this. Mark 12 and verse 38.

And this is Christ speaking here. Then he said to them in his teaching, Beware of the scribes who desire to go round in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts. But he says on the contrary, but who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers, these will receive greater condemnation. There's other passages that are similar to this, but he's saying, Be wary of those who go round looking great, they're saying the right things, they look good on the outside, but inside there's rot, there's decay. They may have been offering prayers, they may have been expounding on God's word appropriately, but yet was that a service that God considered a sacrifice? Not if their hearts were wrong, because they chose the way of sin, or an attitude, rather, in most of these cases, an attitude of sin rather than the ways of God.

And they probably didn't even see it within themselves, and this is the sneaky power of pride. Often pride sits right below the surface in our lives, and in an instant it can become a problem in our life. And I say this with true honesty. I believe it sits right below the surface for all of us. Without humility and truly seeking or seeing ourselves for who we are, we can give an avenue for pride to rise up in our lives, because who doesn't like to be told that was a good job? Who doesn't like to be told, I really appreciate you stepping in the gap here and helping out. It feels good. We like these types of words, but then very quickly we can get into, yeah, I am a pretty good guy. Or, yeah, I did help out when I really didn't have the time, but God will take care of things, but where was everybody else? I was the one that stepped up. Pride has that way of just being right below the surface. And unless we're careful and aware that it can pop up at any time, we can be caught off guard. I believe the scribes were intending to do the right thing. The Pharisees, they probably wanted to do the right thing, but yet right below the surface was this pride. And we have Christ's own words here warning the disciples and critiquing the scribes. God will allow us to make sacrifices with improper motives if we choose to do so. He will even allow us to serve one another with the wrong attitude, but He will not accept them in the same way as if our motives were right. We may serve another in a profound and great way.

It may be an amazing way in human and man's eyes, but if the heart's not right, God will not accept the sacrifice. A regular example may be a common example where if we were to go to the grocery store and we had our cart full and we asked the person helping that was bagging the carts, will you help me get them into my car? And so they walk out and they put them into your car. But what if you could read their heart? What if you could read their mind? And they really did not want to do that. They had no desire to serve you, to be helpful. They did it begrudgingly, or they did it just as what I have to do. Would it mean the same to you if you knew that?

Would you be as okay with it? You may be thankful still because they did physically put groceries in your car. It helped you out. But how would it make you feel? What would you think about the actions that they were doing? Would it mean the same to you? What was the attitude behind it? Was it done to really serve you? The action was right, but the heart was all wrong. God is able to see the heart behind the service that you and I do. You can put in your notes Proverbs 15 verse 8. We have a proverb that speaks to this. Proverbs 15 verse 8 says, The sacrifice of the wicked isn't an abomination to the Lord. It's a sacrifice, but he's saying if you're wicked, which we shouldn't be, and this is probably an extreme word, speaking of the way the pendulum sometimes swings to the far extreme of someone who is truly wicked, but it says, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The prayer of the upright is his delight. We can sacrifice and serve one another, but it can be an abomination if internally we are sinning in the process. We may be doing the right thing externally, but to God it may be just an abomination if we don't have the right heart and if we're not following his word. So that's a first danger. The second is a danger of our sacrifice or service becoming an offense to God. It's a similar vein, these two dangers, but this one's a little bit different. A danger of our sacrifice or service becoming an offense to God. Let's turn back to the book of Isaiah, and this time in Isaiah chapter 1, the beginning of the book, Isaiah 1 and verse 11. Here again, the prophet Isaiah is inspired to write, To what purpose is the magnitude of your sacrifices to me? says the Lord, I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required this from your hand to trample my courts? He goes to say, Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meetings. Notice the words here, your new moons. Notice that he doesn't say my new moons or my appointed feasts. He says, your new moons and your appointed feasts, because they had changed. They weren't following the heart that God had said. They weren't following the way idolatry had mixed in, other things had mixed in. So he says, this thing that you created that I did not give you, your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hates. They are trouble to me, and I am weary of bearing them. And then verse 15, When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. What a dire warning for God's people and for the nation of Israel here. But to think this, that we could be doing the right things. We could be trying our best. Well, let me back up. We could be doing the right things physically, but if inside the heart's not right, we're begrudgingly doing it. We don't want to be doing it. We have other motives that are behind the scenes that are working that are not of God, but of Satan. That could make it to where even our prayers are not heard by God.

Those who pretend to honor God by professing their faith and their Christianity, but are not living their faith and their Christianity with the right heart, are an affront to God. But again, on the flip side, God says the prayer of the upright is His delight. We read that earlier. The prayer of the upright is His delight. And with this, God is well-pleased.

Again, referencing Isaiah 66, God says, you may build this wonderful temple made with hands, and you may dedicate it to me. But He's saying that His power and majesty is not limited to a temple made with hands. And then God pivots on that point, and He brings the attention away from what we can build, but rather what we can do if we allow God to build in us a new heart. God says He will look on Him, again, with the concept of today's sermon, He will look on Him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. This is what is important to God. Not some majestic temple, but a fleshly temple where He will allow His Spirit to dwell. Let's flip ahead to Isaiah 57, actually, and read exactly what He says He will do. Isaiah 57, verse 15.

Isaiah 57, verse 15. Isaiah 57, verse 15. For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. He says, I dwell on the high and holy place with Him who has a contrite and humble spirit. To revive, which means to repair, to restore. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. This is who God says He dwells with. This is who He looks His eyes towards. One who has a contrite and humble spirit. And why? So that He may revive the spirit of the humble and revive the heart of the contrite ones. Remember that broken or smashed-to-powder heart that we are to have? God says He will revive and restore the heart of the contrite one. Again, God desires to bring healing to a heart that is remorseful, that is sorry for our sins and for the nature that we have within us when we allow it to control our lives. When we are regretful, we repent. God says, I'll bring healing to that heart. I'll remove that sin from you. And the Apostle Paul references us well in Philippians 2 and verse 12.

Because here the Apostle Paul says, where does that strength come from to overcome our weaknesses? Where's our goodness, the source of our goodness from?

He says here in Philippians 2 verse 12, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.

We are responsible for the attitude and the heart that we have as we follow and as we serve God. This is that aspect of trust that we heard in the sermonette, that we trust that God has called us to this way of life and that we trust if he's called us to this way of life, he's going to complete the work that he started in us, but yet we have our responsibility and our part to play in this, and that is our response to his spirit, our response to his teaching.

Are we going to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Are we going to recognize how far that vast distance is between God and us at times when we seek to go and follow our own attitudes, our own nature? Because if we recognize that, if we will be willing to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, as verse 13 says, it was God who works in you. He will do his part both to will and to do for his good pleasure. In the passages we have read from Isaiah, the prophet contrasts humble people who have a profound reverence for God's message and its application to life with those who choose their own way.

God shows mercy to the humble, but he curses the proud and the self-sufficient. Mary, the mother of Jesus, offered praise to God to God while she was still pregnant. There's a passage in Luke chapter 1 that we can look at, because in this passage she praises God for his might and his power. She praises him for the way that he cares for those who yield themselves to him. It gives us encouragement as we consider the nature of God in this passage of Mary's praise to God, and to consider this is the God that we worship, and this is the one that wants the best things for us.

Luke 1 and verse 46 is where we'll start reading. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the lowly state. You could put in humility. He's regarded the humility of his maidservant. For behold, henceforth, all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly, or the humble, again, raised up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich. He has sent away empty. He has helped to serve in Israel in remembrance of his mercy. And he speaks to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. What a wonderful passage speaking of the magnitude, the greatness, the mighty power of God.

That he has the ability to control and to raise up kingdoms and to lower kingdoms, but that he's willing to work with us when we have a humble attitude. God's mercy is without limitation. His strength is without end. He isn't impressed by those who lead governments or are in positions of power, but he looks upon him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at his word. Again, a reference to Isaiah 66, verse 2. As we begin to close this message today, let's look at a larger passage from 1 Kings, chapter 8, when King Solomon dedicated the temple in Jerusalem to God.

This is 1 Kings, chapter 8. While we read this passage, try to put yourself into the shoes of Solomon for a moment. You're king of Israel, and this amazing temple has been built, and you're now doing the dedication of this temple to praise and to glory God. Think about what Solomon is saying here to God.

Consider that our own physical lives now represent this temple of God, because we have read, we are the temple of God. His spirit dwells within us. Consider that as we read this passage from 1 Kings, chapter 8, verse 22.

Verse 22, Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands towards heaven. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you, who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you in all their hearts. You have kept what you have promised your servant David, my father. You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand, as in this day. Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what you promised your servant David, my father, saying, you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, and they walk before me as you have walked before me. And now I pray, O God of Israel, let your word come true, which you have spoken to your servant David, my father. But will God indeed dwell on this on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heavens of heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple which I have built. Yet, regard the prayer of your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today, that your eyes may be open towards this temple night and day, toward the place of which you said, my name shall be there, that you may hear the prayer which your servant makes towards this place. And you may hear the supplication of your servants and of your people Israel when they pray towards this place. Here in heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. When anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath and comes and takes an oath before your altar in this temple, then here in heaven, enact and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. When your people Israelers defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name and pray and make supplication to you in this temple, then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which you gave to their fathers. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, when they pray towards this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you afflict them, then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, that you may teach them the good way in which they should walk and send rain on your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance. Let me pause for a moment. This is that prayer that when we pray for repentance that God hears, that he acknowledges, that sincere heart, that humble, that contrite spirit that we are to have. When we recognize how far we have maybe slipped, how far we have sinned before his eyes, that he will bring us back. He will hear those prayers. He will restore us to the place that he has desired for us to be.

Continuing in verse 39, then here in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart you know, for you alone know the hearts of the sons of men, and that they may fear you all the days in that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. In verse 49, then here in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against you and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them. For they are your people. We are God's people. For they are your people and your inheritance whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant and the supplication of your people Israel to listen to them whenever they call to you. For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your inheritance as you spoke by your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out of Egypt. Oh, Lord God! It's a passage that we may say is somewhat disconnected from your and my life today, but when we realize that we are the temple of God, that we have his Holy Spirit and he has called us and drawn us and shown us so much that when we realize that we fall short, which we do, that we can go back to God, we can confess. It's just an amazing opportunity we have here to see the way that God looks on us. What an amazing dedication and prayer that King Solomon offered to God when the building of the temple in Jerusalem was complete.

He reverently prayed and reminded God of his promises and what he wanted and the humility on behalf of the nation of Israel, acknowledging before God the weaknesses we have as humans. While the physical temple is no more, the spiritual temple of God exists today, and each of us are part of that temple. At the beginning of Isaiah 66, God asked, where is the house that you will build me? God is looking for us to invite him into our lives and allow him to build within us his temple. He desires to work with us and to change our lives. He desires that we return to him when we sin and repent before him and we change from our past ways. He wants to build within us the fullness that he envisioned when in his awesome wonder he created mankind in his own image. May we continue to be that one that God will look upon, as it said in Isaiah 66 verse 2. May we continue to be that one that God will look upon, one who is a poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at his word.